Is There a Peacekeeping Force Presently in Darfur?
Yes, there is a 7,000-member African Union (AU) peacekeeping force with a mandate to remain in the Darfur area until June 2007. Khartoum says it is happy for the AU to strengthen its mandate, increase its number of troops and receive logistical support from the United Nations–as long as this is done in consultation with the Khartoum government. Western critics charge that the AU force is too small, has not been paid for three months, suffers from low morale, is not proactive in protecting the population of the Darfur region. The AU force has been denied access into key areas in Darfur by both the Khartoum government and rebel forces. The UN passed a resolution in August under which 20,000 U.N. peacekeepers would replace the over-stretched AU force. Although critics have long argued for a UN peacekeeping force to replace the AU, Khartoum says it is unwilling to consider troops from outside the continent. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir rejected any UN force although he says he would
